


What is a legacy?

by HellionOfTheOutlaws22



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Venom (Movie 2018), Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Cassie Lang Lives, Cassie Lang as Stature, Civil War Team Iron Man, Found Family, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Harley Keener Needs a Hug, Harley Keener as Iron Lad, Kid Harry Osborn, Kid Loki (Marvel), Lila Barton as Hawkeye, Norman Osborn is a Good Parent, Norman Osborn's A+ parenting, Origin Story, Parent Tony Stark, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Precious Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Sick Harry, Team as Family, Teen Angst, Teenage Rebellion, Tony Stark Acting as Harley Keener's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark's Legacy, young avengers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:48:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27134815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HellionOfTheOutlaws22/pseuds/HellionOfTheOutlaws22
Summary: After losing Tony, Harley is broken. But Tony has always given him a purpose, even when Harley doesn't want one.Harry is sick. He has been for a while. The LIFE foundation gives his father hope that they can save his son. But Harry is still his own person.5 years. 5 years without her dad. Cassie has grown up, and she wants to make her dad proud, even if he's back now.Lila was thought dead for five years. She barely recognizes her dad. Attending the funeral of Iron Man, she makes a new friend, and they find that they have more in common than anyone might think.Rebirth. How odd is it, after his most final death, Loki can't even enjoy the afterlife? Stuck in the body of his 10 year old self and wandering around in a city he tried to destroy, he finds his way on his own.
Relationships: Harley Keener & Harley Keener's Sister, Harley Keener & Kid Loki & Cassie Lang & Lila Barton, Harley Keener & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Harley Keener & Pepper Potts, Harley Keener & Tony Stark, Harley Keener/Harry Osborn, Harry Osborn & Norman Osborn, Loki & Harry Osborn, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	1. The world needs Iron Man.

Harley sat cross-legged on the ground by the lake, staring out at the water and watching the arc reactor sink slowly.

Everyone had gone inside, except him. He couldn't bring himself to.

He stared at the little gift box that had his name written on it in a familiar scrawl, a gift from Tony. 

The only positive male role model in his life, Tony had given him so many opportunities, he'd believed that Harley could do amazing things if only he was given the chance. And he was given the chance. He'd spent summers in New York, helping Tony in the lab, eager to learn and eager to build. 

After the snap, Tony had looked for him, finding the 15 year old kneeling in his kitchen, staring numbly at the ashes of his mother and sister. Tony had grabbed him, yanked him to his feet and hugged him like he couldn't believe he was alive.

Harley had cried. Someone had cared enough to come find him, someone cared enough about him to let him lean on them. And that someone was Tony. And it hadn't stopped there. 

Tony had brought him back to New York, like he had for so many summers before, and introduced him to Pepper and Rhodey.

Harley had been there when Tony and Pepper got married, he was the fourth person to hold little Morgan when she was born. He'd sworn to protect Morgan like he'd protected Abby, his little sister. And he tried.

He'd sat with Morgan during the end, the fight against Thanos, instead of joining the fight. He'd held her and told her it would be okay, that Mommy and Daddy were going to save the world, and then they'd be together again. Only, they weren't together now. Tony had died. He'd died to save everyone.

Harley blinked back tears, his nails digging into his palms. Why couldn't it be anyone else? Why did it have to be Tony who died, sacrificing himself to save the universe?

Tony, who had so much to live for, who had been the best father that Harley knew, to Morgan of course, not him. He was just a kid that Tony had met in one of his darkest moments, but Tony had chosen to keep in touch. Harley had nothing to live for, and then all of a sudden he did, because Tony had given him that. And now he was gone. And Harley had no idea what to do.

He stared at the gift box, then unwrapped it with shaky fingers. The lid came off, and Harley's heart stopped for a second. A gold and red metal wristband. Tony had given him his armor?

Harley's fingers shook even more, but he managed to put the band on. The familiar gold and red started covering him, until Harley was wearing the Iron Man armor, Tony's armor.

"Hey kid." Harley recoiled at the familiar voice. He saw Tony, recording a message for him apparently, in the corner of his eye. 

"If you're watching this, I guess I'm not there to tell you all this myself, and that means the world is going to need a new Iron Man." Harley swallowed around a lump in his throat.

"I was going to give this to you one day anyway. First of all, yes, this particular suit has retro-reflectors." Harley couldn't help but laugh at that, tears in his eyes. "You know, when I met you, a scrawny brat kid who threatened me with a freaking potato gun, I didn't think I'd get so attached that I'd wind up thinking of you as family. That I'd be calling you my kid."

Harley choked on a sob. "I trust you, Harley. I know you can do anything you set your mind to, and you have the makings of a hero."

Harley knew he was trembling. He hated losing people. His dad, then his mom and Abby, and now Tony.

The recording of Tony let out a sigh. "I know this sucks, Harley. I know that. Believe me, I wish I had another choice. I wish I didn't have to scar you and Morgan more than I already have. And I don't want you to stay in the shadows forever. You're meant for so much more than that. We're connected, remember? I'm proud of you." And with that, the message clicked off.

Harley sobbed, the armor melting away. He hid his face in his hands.

A hand on his shoulder made him flinch, and he looked up to see the girl that had stood with Hawkeye's family, Hawkeye's daughter, he guessed, looking down at him worriedly.

"Hey." She greeted softly.

"Hi." He whispered, wiping at his eyes.

She sat on the ground beside him, and he took solace in the quiet companionship. "Sounds like Mr Stark thought the world of you." She whispered eventually.

"He was the closest thing I had to a dad." Harley agreed.

"Do you want to be Iron Man?" She asked.

And wasn't that the big question? Did Harley want to be Iron Man?

"The world needs Iron Man." he shrugged.

She shook her head. "Forget the world for a minute. Do _you_ want to be Iron Man?" 

He didn't know how to answer that. They sat in silence, before he was able to answer. "Before this? If Tony asked me to be Iron Man? I wouldn't hesitate. I used to dream about it. But now... now that he's gone..."

She nodded. "It's harder to take up the mantle now that he's not here with you." 

He wiped his eyes again with his sleeve. "I'm Harley, by the way." He realized they didn't know each other's names, despite having such a deep discussion.

"Lila." She smiled. 

He swallowed. "I think... I don't think I can be Iron Man. Not yet at least. But... I want to make Tony proud." 

"So don't be Iron Man. Be yourself." She shrugged. "Iron Boy?"

He laughed, surprising himself. He hadn't felt like laughing half an hour ago. "Oh hell no. Not Iron Boy. Maybe... Iron Lad."

"Nice."


	2. Lashing out.

Harry curled up in a fetal position, laying on the bathroom floor. Norman hovered over him, gently pressing a cool cloth to Harry's forehead.

"It's getting worse." Harry whispered shakily.

"Hush, son. I'm going to fix this." Norman promised.

Almost on cue, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He answered it, still watching Harry. "Tell me you have something." He snapped in greeting.

Harry couldn't make out what was said, trying instead to shift onto his back.

Norman's eyes lit up, evidently relieved. "We'll be right there." He hung up.

"Dad?" Harry rasped.

"It's going to be alright." Norman assured him, helping him up off the floor. 

* * *

Harry leaned against his father, looking around in confusion.

The LIFE foundation, owned by Carlton Drake, one of his dad's business partners, was the last place he thought they'd be going.

The two of them made their way to the labs, and Drake himself greeted them, looking worriedly at Harry.

"It's a new development." He said to Norman, leading them down the halls. "Several specimen were retrieved. Only one has shown the potential that Harry will need."

Norman nodded absentmindedly. "Have they been tested?" He demanded.

"Two of the males have successfully bonded to hosts. The females are a bit more...volatile." Drake winced. "We have a third male for Harry to bond with."

They stopped in front of a glass wall, and Harry saw a small green blob in a tank, moving and... playing? He would have laughed if his lungs didn't hurt so badly.

"This is Lasher." Drake said proudly. "He's young, but he's shown promise."

Harry glanced at Drake. He sounded like Norman did when Harry did something worth being proud of.

"How does the bonding process work?" Norman inquired curiously.

"Simple. Let them interact."

_It sounds like they're arranging a playdate_ , Harry thought. "Alright." Norman ruffled his son's hair.

"Be bold. They respond better to that." Drake advised, unlocking the door.

Harry stepped into the sterile room, his eyes on the tank. The blob chirped, and he had a feeling it was watching him. He reached out a hand and the blob climbed out of the tank, perching on the edge.

"Hey there." Harry crooned, slowly walking closer. Another chirp. He forced himself to remain calm, offering his hand palm up.

The little alien creature inched closer. Harry blinked, going still. _Lasher_ , he remembered. _Drake had said the creature's name was Lasher._ "Hi Lasher." he whispered.

Lasher chirped again and freaking yeeted himself at Harry. Harry laughed, letting the dark green blob inspect him.

Drake was grinning, while Norman watched the interaction with wary eyes.

Harry shuddered when Lasher suddenly latched onto him and slowly sank into Harry's skin. "Alright. The bond has been initiated." Drake muttered, looking delighted.

"Now what?" Harry asked, straightening up and turning to look at them.

"Now, Lasher can heal you from the inside out. He's like his father and siblings, quite the miracle worker." Drake replied fondly. "How many are there?" Norman inquired. "Lasher is one of nine."

Harry tuned them out, feeling his energy spike. He felt _good_. For the first time in his life, he didn't feel weak. 

* * *

"Harry!" Norman called up the stairs, growing impatient.

Harry had been bonded with Drake's symbiote for almost a week, and Norman had noticed how Harry had changed in that one week. Often spending his time outside, skipping classes, getting into a fight with a Eugene Thompson at school.

Norman knew Harry was still recovering from being "dusted", but he was usually so well behaved. He tried his hardest to blend in, to stay out of the spotlight and avoid making lasting relationships, but this sudden personality change was worrying.

Harry slid down the banister, grinning, and landed on his feet beside Norman.

"I'm going out Dad." Harry said, reaching for his jacket.

"I thought we could have dinner tonight." Norman tried to protest without being as overprotective as he felt.

"I'll be back in an hour." Harry frowned, a hand on the doorknob.

Norman softened. "One hour. Be safe." He watched his son smile and run out the door.

"He'll be back. He's not going anywhere." He muttered to himself. But it still stung just a little, in an irrational way.

Harry was just making up for lost time, now that he wasn't on the brink of death. 

* * *

"Mask." Harry grinned, ducking into an alleyway not far from Oscorp.

**_Copy_**. The voice in his head sounded like he was also grinning, and Lasher manifested in his full form.

_**What are we looking for, Harry?**_ Lasher inquired, using their shared mind to communicate.

_There's something going on with the company._ Harry mused. _The partnership with the LIFE foundation proves that. We need to find solid proof_.

Lasher hummed in agreement. _**Are you sure about doing this? If your father finds out...**_

Harry cut him off. _If my father finds out, he's probably a bad guy._

Lasher was quiet, but then grinned. _**So you could say we're...lashing out?**_

Harry groaned, but couldn't help laughing. _That was terrible._


	3. I made it on my own.

"Almost..." Cassie muttered, her eyes on the small, glowing blue disk in front of her. She held a pair of delicate tweezers in her hand, her hair pulled back from her face and her old tee shirt covered in oil and dirt.

The garage was a warzone, but the teen couldn't bring herself to care right now, not when she was so close to fulfilling her goal, the one that had kept her going for five years when her world had gone to shit.

"You got this, Cass. Careful... careful..." The last piece clicked into place and she whooped. "YES!"

The device crackled, glitching, and her face fell.

"Shit." She muttered, just as an explosion rocked the house.

Cassie screamed, falling back onto the ground. 

* * *

Scott and Maggie sat in the living room, both of them awkward and unsure of how to act or what to do.

Cassie, their precious little girl, had been living on her own in their house for 5 years. She had no one to help her, just her own survival skills and resources.

She'd grown up, leaving behind the 9 year old her parents knew and grown into the level-headed and intelligent 15 year old she was now. The house was always paid for, the fridge stocked and the rooms as clean as Maggie would have had it.

Scott had glimpsed the garage briefly, and that was like looking into another world. The chaos and tables covered in metal and tools and high tech pieces looked like something Stark would have made. 

Now, the parents were clueless and hesitant of what they should do. Cassie had evidently survived on her own and they didn't know this girl anymore. They had no idea how to help her and fit back into the roles of Mom and Dad. 

The sound of an explosion made both of them jump, and Scott leapt to his feet, prepared for an attack. He looked at Maggie, his heart in his throat.

"Cassie." They both whispered in horror, before bolting to the garage. 

* * *

Cassie wasn't sure of how long she'd been out.

When she came to, all she saw were bright lights and the white ceiling. She could hear the beeping of a heart monitor somewhere beside her, and vaguely registered voices.

"Cassie? Cassie, baby can you hear me?" That voice was very familiar, but it took her a minute to realize that it was her dad. He sounded worried. She tried to turn her head, but her limbs weren't responding to her.

"It's okay, honey, don't try to move. You've been out for a while." There was her dad again, trying to reassure her that everything was gonna be okay. "One of your experiments went wrong, do you remember that?" He paused, before realizing she wouldn't be able to answer him. "I'm so sorry honey."

Only, she wasn't sure what he was sorry for. It couldn't have gone that wrong, could it?


End file.
